Stepladder with tool carrier

Abstract

A stepladder which is placed on a tool carrier and which is folded up when in the transport position with the handle extracted, has a folding step which in this position is flush with the side wall of the ladder part. The stepladder surrounds the tool carrier above the level of a base.

1 . A step ladder comprising a tool carrier, the step ladder comprising two ladder parts comprising a top step, the two ladder parts being foldably interconnected via a hinge in a region of the top step, at least one ladder part comprising a folding step pivotally disposed about a bearing between the lateral uprights of the ladder parts, the folding step being movable in the direction of the upright of the one ladder part when the step ladder is in a collapsed position, and into a position extending toward the other ladder part parallel to the top step when the step ladder is in an opened position, the tool carrier comprising a base and at least one tool carrier wall disposed thereon and extending away from the base, wherein the tool carrier wall is enclosed by the ladder parts, wherein the tool carrier wall comprises at least one of a guide surface and a guide point for the folding step on a side facing away from the base, the at least one of the guide surface and the guide point interacts with the folding step and guides the folding step from the opened position parallel to the top step to the position in the direction of the uprights when the ladder part comprising the folding step is mounted on the tool carrier, wherein a hinged strut possessing high compressive and tensile rigidity is provided on the folding step at a distance from the bearing, rotatably connected to the oppositely disposed ladder part, and a length and bearing points of the hinged strut are dimensioned such that the ladder parts are movable from the opened position to the collapsed position and vice versa by pivoting the folding step. 
     
     
         2 . A step ladder according to  claim 1 , wherein each ladder part comprises a single step. 
     
     
         3 . A step ladder according to  claim 1 , wherein the tool carrier wall is disposed eccentrically on the base comprising the at least one of the guide surface and the guide point and that an inner wall is provided with an inner guide surface or inner guide point disposed more centrally, the inner guide surface or inner guide point being disposed above the guide surface or guide point of the tool carrier wall. 
     
     
         4 . A step ladder according to  claim 3 , wherein the guide surface of the tool carrier wall is disposed at an angle of from approximately 35 to 60 degrees, and the guide surface of the inner wall is disposed at an angle of from approximately 10 to 30 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . A step ladder according to  claim 1 , wherein the ladder part comprises a closed wall section below the folding step and the lateral wall of the ladder part is fully closed in the collapsed position. 
     
     
         6 . A step ladder according to  claim 1 , wherein the tool carrier comprises a handle on the side facing away from the base, the handle being guided longitudinally displaceably along a sliding rail on the at least one of the inner wall and the tool carrier wall and being capable of tilting transversally to the sliding rail in an upper position. 
     
     
         7 . A step ladder according to  claim 6 , wherein the step ladder comprises a recess for the handle in the top step in the region of the hinge, the handle being guarded from tilting by means of contact surfaces on the top step when the step ladder is in a mounted position. 
     
     
         8 . A step ladder according to  claim 6 , wherein in the mounted position of the step ladder, the handle is completely countersunk so as to be flush with the surface of the step. 
     
     
         9 . A step ladder in according to  claim 1 , wherein the base has a groove on at least two oppositely disposed edges for the purpose of receiving and laterally retaining the ladder part by means of a bottom wall section thereof at least partly entering the groove. 
     
     
         10 . A step ladder according to  claim 1 , wherein the ladder part comprising the folding step comprises a support on the inner side of the upright on which the folding step rests in an opened position. 
     
     
         11 . A step ladder according to  claim 1 , wherein the strut is in each case attached to the ladder part below the bearing of the folding step such that the strut assumes an angle of from approximately 5 to 45 degrees, when the step ladder is in the opened position. 
     
     
         12 . A step ladder according to  claim 11 , wherein the strut assumes an angle of from approximately 15 to 20 degrees.